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CONFIRMED: Tonja Walker Returning To General Hospital!

Photo Credit: HutchinsPhoto.com

Photo Credit: HutchinsPhoto.com

After much speculation, it has been confirmed by General Hospital’s executive producer Frank Valentini on Friday, that Tonja Walker is set to return to the ABC daytime drama series for a prominent role beginning to air in early 2017.

In the statement the EP related: “We are very happy to be bringing Tonja back to GH.  While we can’t share what role she’ll be playing, we can guarantee that she’ll be shaking things up in Port Charles.”

On GH, Walker played Olivia Jerome from 1988-1990, until the character was killed-off by her brother Julian!  Savvy GH fans think they may know who Walker will play! The initiasl O and J may be very important since fans began speculating that the person Julian (William deVry) is speaking with and getting some directives from is named Oscar Jessup.  But Sam (Kelly Monaco) and Jason (Billy Miller) discovered Jessup died in the early 90’s!

If Walker is reprising Olivia, it would provide great drama with her revenge on her brother and her past with Anna Devane (Finola Hughes).  And, how might Ava Jerome (Maura West) feel about having Olivia actually alive and well?  Stay tuned to see how this all plays itself out.

So, excited to hear Tonja is coming back to GH?  Comment below!

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I know zero of Tonja, so really don’t care if she comes on or not.
I do care for Helena and I want her back !!!

Her scenes with Maura West are going to be must see daytime tv!

Just before her death, Olivia Jerome found redemption in a relationship with Lucy’s cousin Colton. If TW is an alive again Olivia, at least one scene with Lynn Herring would be fantastic

Swooning at Maura/Tonja….

whatever it takes… to upend… the dire wasteland that is : Corinthos

this is tour de force acting troupe; Jerome’ Julian, Olivia, Ava. wow

OH happy DAY! Olivia Jerome was a GREAT character brilliantly played by Tonja Walker! Bringing her back is exactly the spark this show and storyline need! Welcome home Tonja!

I believe Tonja was on OLTL for a while.

Yes. She played Alex Olanov.

What a hoot TW was as Alex Olanov. Loved TW then and love her now. Glad she is coming back to GH. Girl has style and delivery. Yeah.

Meh

She was fantastic from I remember of her from back then. A complex kind of crazy a Olivia Jerome was. Maybe Griffin is due to be crazy obsessed over like his Dad

Duke was not obsessed with Olivia, it was the other way around.
Olivia was a creepy-stalker woman who also preyed upon Anna.
But never the less, given her Duke obsession, she cannot be happy with her brother for killing the object of her obsession.

I know. I said crazy obsessed over
Meaning someone was crazy obsessing over him

Okay, thank you for the clarification.

If Tonya is playing Olivia – the scenes between her and Ava will be electrifying I’m sure .

I friggin’ loved Olivia Jerome! This could be great.

I’m excited to see her back on General Hospital and can’t wait to see how all of this will play out.

Tonja and Maura is brilliance!!

If she is playing Olivia Jerome – what do we do with Olivia Falconeri? It has never been the practice on a soap to have two characters with the same first name. A same-named boy may be called “Junior.” When Denise Alexander came back to GH, LesleyLu was then called LuLu. Alan Quartermaine Jr was not Alan but A.J. Will be interesting to see what Tanya’s character will be or maybe LoCicero is leaving GH…with the kid, I hope.

As Tracy would say, it’s time for Mama Leone to he’d back to Brooklyn

Two people in a town can have the same name! Young and Restless had John Silva and John Abbott for years. And GH had John McBain and John Zacchara.

One Life also had John McBain and John Sykes for a short while

I’ve always enjoyed Tonja Walker’s work—dating back to her early role on “Capitol”—so I’m happy to see her return to daytime. I just hope it isn’t as another Jerome family member, even though she was the original one back in the day…Quite frankly, I’ve had it up to here with that corrupt clan monopolizing the GH canvas….both Ava and Julian need to go. But if Olivia—or whoever she is—can accomplish that feat, then I’m all for her (re)appearance. (It would still be a better idea than attaching Walker to her old OLTL character…oh please, for the love of God, let’s not start re-populating Port Charles with Llanview denizens again…we’ve been there, done that, and it didn’t go over well the first time around….)

I only began watching GH when Maura West joined as Ava. I have found the show very bland and poorly written of late. If Ava leaves, I’ll not watch anymore. I humbly respect your opinion.

I can appreciate your thoughts, too, toscanti…even though I cannot deny West’s talents, I simply have not enjoyed the character of Ava (nor Julian) and their effect upon the emphasized mob direction of GH. Of course, I can also say the same for the characters of Sonny and Carly…whilst I’ve no quarrel with the actors who portray them, I cannot abide the way they have monopolized the goings-on in Port Charles.

Shay merry Christmas best wishes for 2017 the fact you re still watching GH tells me you have had a lobotomy or a glutton for punishment! Lol you hang in there

Darlings FV thinks it is OLTL

@k/kay…..Thank you, and Merry Christmas to you, as well! For the record, I’ve not had a lobotomy, nor am I a glutton for punishment….I barely watch GH anymore. The last full episode I tuned into was when “painted as sainted” Sabs kicked the proverbial bucket, and that one was worth the price of admission, believe you me! Other than occasional snippets here and there, I really don’t view the show, but hope always springs eternal it will someday get it right again. Until then, the void for daily drama is more than filled by the likes of MFSoaps and the continued antics from those discontented by the U.S. presidential election.

Ooh more Jeromes !!

Let’s complete the family and bring back daddy Victor. Jack Axelrod is still acting at 86!

Hey Olivia meet Olivia falcineri, lol, I was a kid back when Olivia Jerome was on and while I don’t remember everything bout the character I do remember her obsession with Duke, she was cray cray for sure in the good way she’ll be fun to watch with Ava.

Been waiting 26 years for this reunion! I agree the case of the 2 Olivias does complicate things but the addition of Tonja to the canvas is sure to set off a lot of sparks across various storylines. Is Nelle part of her master plot? Did she pull the strings on the Duke hit? If she was so Duke-obsessed why wait so long after his death to reappear! What does she have in mind for Sonny? Lastly, is she connected to Paul Hornsby? See ya around Port Chuck, Oscar!!!!!?

I wasn’t a GH viewer back when Tonja was on, but I’ve heard about Olivia Jerome and think she would be a great addition to the canvas. However, the casting notice doesn’t specify that she’ll be playing Olivia, and since there is already another Olivia currently on the show, are they really going to have two characters with the same name?

I’m glad, it’s about time. She was so great first time around. My only thing is, now we’ll have two Olivias on the show.

Olivia VS Ava=Jerome Fireworks!

Both actresses BRING IT! and i know with them together, it will be magical!
Skip Julian, i’ll take the Jerome girls ANYDAY!

This could potentially shake things up in a really good way that pays homage to GH history.

Maybe she’s Griffin’s mom…believed dead. I didn’t watch back then but since she had a thing for Duke…could it be she changed her identity…Griffin in the dark about her past…

I was gonna say the exact same thing! Could she be Griffin’s believed-to-be-dead Mother? Especially considering her past connection(s) with the character of Duke who of course happens to be Griffin’s father…

Yep…would be interesting! Lol…poor Griffin…he’s so good…it’d devastate him. And Anna’d freak. But still, an interesting twist… Let’s see if we’re right….

I do not remember her. Was she before 1989?

The best years of GH were before 1989, Tskyent. But yes, she came on the show in ’88 and was front burner with Duke and Anna.

And she left in ’90 after being redeemed.

I’ve watched in the seventies, and early eighties. Thank you 🙂

Great to see Tonja Walker on soaps again, I really liked her as Alex on OLTL. I hope GH treats her well and that she is on it full time, or at least recurring.

I know I’m late responding to this announcement but this is awesome. How could they possibly bring her back as Olivia unless she was in disguised as Alex Olonov on OLTL all these years? Coming back as Olivia will pull multiple GH favs into the storyline. This will drive Ana completely crazy. She could also be Griffins mother with Duke. She will definitely come gunning after Julian. She could even have a vendetta against Ava being the bastard child of her father. It could get even more interesting if she removed Ana’s fetus after the elevator accident and implanted it into herself. Making Ana Griffins real mother. What a coo this was!!!!

I would love to see her playing the character from One Life. Certainly she learned a lot from Asa and Carlo to be a very dangerous woman. She’s been living on that Island of hers all these years. A rise to power would be great for her!! And she’s alive, not even presumed dead. She can pretend to be whoever she wants.

General Hospital

GENERAL HOSPITAL: Nina Confronts Ava for Sabotaging Her Relationship With Sonny and Signs the Divorce Papers

Looks like Nina (Cynthia Watros) and Ava (Maura West) are back to be each other’s sworn enemy number one. By the end of the Monday, April 22nd episode of General Hospital, the women know where they stand with each other after Nina goes in on Ava accusing her of wanting Sonny (Maurice Benard) all to herself, while her marriage has been on the rocks.

In story, at Nina’s office, Ava shows up to see Nina and says she is sorry about what happened with Sonny and that he reacted the way he did, acknowledging that is was over the top, even for Sonny. Ava says she’ll smooth things over, but Nina says she now understands how manipulative and transparent Ava really is.

Given their horrible history, Nina goes in on Ava and how she should never have trusted her. Nina wants to know how long has Ava had this agenda dating all the way back to telling Nina to turn Carly (Laura Wright) and Drew (Cameron Mathison) into the SEC. Ava says she never told her do to that, but Nina wants to know how long Ava has been playing her for a fool.

Courtesy/ABC

Ava says she moved in with Sonny to keep Avery safe and she wants to be on good terms with Avery’s father, Sonny. Nina thinks she likes being in Sonny’s inner circle. Ava tells Nina if she goes to him about her advising Nina to call the SEC on Carly and Drew, it won’t work.  Sonny still considers Nina a traitor and he will think she’s lying because she’s so desperate to win him back. Ava says if Nina would stop blaming everyone else that maybe Sonny would respect her.  Nina says “like he does you?” Ava says Sonny not only respects her, but he also counts on her.

From there, Ava launches into why she and Sonny understand each other, after all, Sonny is a powerful, turbulent, and sometimes violent man. She goes so far to say if Nina wanted someone to just sit by the fire with and play with their grandchildren, she’s got the wrong guy.  Ava then talks about Mike from Nixon Falls (Sonny with amnesia) and how Sonny hid the darkest parts of himself from Nina back then, whereas with Ava they are the same similar creatures, so he doesn’t have to hide anything.

Courtesy/ABC

Nina wants to know just what Ava wants with Sonny? What is her end game? Ava responds that they understand each other, in ways she can’t with Sonny. Nina tells Ava she can go ahead and have it all and signs Sonny’s divorce papers. Ava walks out with the documents, while Nina in tears at her desk, takes off her wedding rings and has her assistant come in so she can messenger the rings back to Sonny’s address.

The episode and these scenes featured great performances by Cynthia Watros and Maura West. You can check some of the scenes below.

Now, let us know, what is Ava’s next move? Is she going to become Mrs. Sonny Corinthos? Do you like Ava and Nina as enemies? Comment below.

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General Hospital

Ellen Travolta Makes Another Return to General Hospital

If General Hospital’s Chase (Josh Swickard) and Brook Lynn’s (Amanda Setton) nuptials are on, you didn’t think Grandma Gloria Cerullo would miss out on the festivities, now did you?

Casting news from Soap Opera Digest reveals that Ellen Travolta is back taping scenes that will air the week of May 13th on the ABC daytime drama series.  When viewers learned that Carmine Cerullo, was also on his way back to Port Charles, now in the face and body of actor George Russo, it only made sense that Grandma Gloria would join Grandpa Cerullo. Look for them both mid-May.

As most people know, Ellen is the older sister to John Travolta. She first make appearances as Gloria back on GH in the mid-90s. Most recently, she returned to the Quartermaine mansion to meet up with daughter, Lois (Rena Sofer) and granddaughter Brook Lynn for Thanksgiving in Port Charles in 2023.  Michael Fairman TV interviewed Rena Sofer and Amanda Setton late last year where they shared what it had been liking working with Ellen, who remains very close to Sofer in real-life.

Photo: JPI

Amanda shared: “We fell in love immediately. What’s crazy is my maternal grandmother was Grandma Gloria. I had her till I was 30 and we were so close. She was really like a second mom to me. So, when I got this script and I’m reading “Grandma Gloria”, it was so bizarre. And then in meeting Ellen, she looks like my grandma – same haircut, same high cheekbones. It really did feel like I had a few days with my grandma. It was very, very special for me. Ellen is sweet, prepared, professional, talented and funny to boot. So, it was one of the best weeks I’ve had at work. I hope she comes back. My fingers are crossed.”

Photo: ABC

Now, we can’t imagine Brook Lynn and Chase’s wedding day to be smooth sailing, in fact, expect just the opposite, but could it be Grandma Gloria who is ultimately the hero or the calming voice of reason for any pre-wedding jitters? Stay tuned.

So, glad to know that Ellen Travolta will be back for Brook Lynn and Chase’s big day? Comment below.

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Breaking News

The Young and the Restless and General Hospital Actress and Writer, Meg Bennett, Passes Away at 75

Meg Bennett, who had played Julia Newman and later became a writer for the top-rated daytime drama, The Young and the Restless has died at the age of 75.  The news comes from her family who shared that she lost her battle to cancer back on April 11th.

Daytime fans remember fondly, Meg’s portrayal of Victor’s (Eric Braeden)first wife. Bennett joined the show in 1980, after her first soap stint for two years in the role of Liza Walton on Search for Tomorrow.

Impressed by her story notes, the late Bill Bell, then head writer of Y&R, had Meg doing double duty acting and writing on the show from 1983-1987. When he decided to write off the character of Julia, he also wanted Meg to stick around as a writer.  Not only did this begin a whole other daytime career for Bennett, but she was not done playing Julia either. Throughout the decades, Julia would still come back to Genoa City for a visit. Most recently, Y&R fans saw Julia in 2018, and again in 2020.

Photo: JPI

Bennett also appeared on Santa Barbara and was a writer on that show as well from 1991-1993. She played the role of Megan Richardson. It was next that Meg had her longest writing stint coming to ABC’s General Hospital. Meg wrote for GH from 1993-2011.

In 1995, Bennett won her first Daytime Emmy for writing and her personal life changed after falling in love with nine-time Daytime Emmy winner, former GH head writer, Bob Guza Jr. In addition, GH also utilized Bennett for her acting skill when she was cast as the villainess Allegra Montenegro.  Meg and Bog Guza were officially married in 2004 and purchased a home once owned by Boris Karloff and Gregory Peck.

Photo: JPI

Additionally, Meg wrote for The Bold and the Beautiful 1987-1989 and later served as a executive story consultant to Brad Bell from 2002-2004.  She also wrote for Sunset Beach, Generations and GH: Night Shift throughout her writing career. She went on to win five WGA Awards for GH and Santa Barbara.

Meg is survived by her husband of 19 years, Robert Guza Jr., two stepdaughters, four grandchildren, a brother and a sister.

Share your remembrances and condolences for Meg Bennett via the comment section below.

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